It is known to employ an automated system that provides voice messages to a user over a telephone line and processes the user's touch-tone telephone key presses as input. The messages can be tape recorded human voice messages or machine generated speech. The user can access the system by dialing a specific telephone number. The system automatically answers the telephone call and begins interacting with the user.
The messages from the system can provide the user with information or can prompt the user to enter data or to make a selection from a variety of choices. For example, a message can state: "For choice A, press one; For choice B, press two; For choice C, press three . . . ". If the number of choices is large, it may be necessary to present the choices in more than one menu. In that case, the final part of the message would prompt the user to provide a particular input in order to receive an additional message that lists other choices (e.g. "Press nine to hear more options"). The user navigates through the system by providing appropriate input at each message to get to the next desired message or to activate a desired option.
A disadvantage of the system described above is that, as the functionality (i.e. number of options) of the system increases, the number and complexity of the prompt messages increases. In some instances, it may become very difficult for a user to navigate through the system to get to a desired option. Although much work has been done in the area of interactive voice systems, the prior art does not adequately address the problem of being able to increase system functionality without appreciably increasing the difficulty of use of the system. Exemplary references are shown below.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,430 to Richardson, Jr. et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,735 to Garcia et al. disclose integrated voice-mail processing systems that provide multiple data base and/or service accesses in response to a single telephone call. The user is prompted for keypad selections and/or spoken voice prompts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,585 to MacMillan, Jr. et al. discloses an integrated voice messaging/voice response system. Through one telephone call, a user can be transferred among various application modules (i.e. services) through the use of an interactive voice response module that offers a menu of available modules (a "compound session"). The system may require entry of an account number, a customer number or a password before access to the application modules is allowed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,110 to Jones et al. discloses an integrated services platform for telephone communications. A user is able to access an information service via a voice menu. A master control unit automatically connects the user to a selected APU (application processing unit) and the APU then provides the user with the requested information. Voice menus allow the caller to request several different types of services during a single call.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,367 to DeFrancesco et al. discloses a financial quotation system using synthetic speech. After verification of a user I.D., the user enters information via a telephone keypad in response to queries. Results are reported to the user via the telephone. A time-out disconnects the call if input information is not received after a predetermined time period.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,408 to Britton et al. discloses a dialogue production system for generating computer-controlled voice services. Timeout conditions can be checked to determine if a caller's response was rapid enough.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,558 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,562 to Hird et. al. disclose voice message menus for prompting a user of a telephone. A timeout is used to determine if any key has been pressed within a specified time limit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,689 to O'Sullivan discloses an interactive transit information system that provides schedule information to a caller in response to voice message prompts. The system waits for a predetermined pause period to determine if a caller's entries are finished.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,120 to McLeod et al. discloses service selection to a telephone user via audible message menus. Authorization codes must be input before access to the service menu is allowed. Multiple subscribers may have the same access code with each subscriber being provided with a unique number for allowing access to that subscriber's preselected enhanced services.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,153 to Katz discloses a voice-data telephone interface that prompts a caller with oral instructions. The system has an automatic dialer for attaining connections to stored telephone numbers (i.e. services). A processor is actuated through a crossbar switch.
The following references disclose telephone communication of voice menus to a user in order to provide a selected service(s): U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,267 to Riskin; U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,239 to Solomon et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,616 to Linstroth et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,461 to Brown et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,132,549 to Bern and U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,062 to Von Meister et al.
The following references disclose the authorization of a user to access a service, using his telephone, via a PIN or other account number: U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,238 to Medamana et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,894 to Darden.
It is desirable to improve over the systems described above by providing an interactive voice response system that allows for increasing functionality without appreciably increasing the difficulty of use of the system.